About Shiba Inu

The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the Japanese native breeds. Despite its smaller size it was bred to hunt small wild game, bear, boar and to flush birds. The name Shiba means, both "small" and "brushwood", and the word "Inu" means "dog" in Japanese. It may have been named after the terrain the dogs hunted in or the color of the Shiba's coat. As with many breeds, the second world war nearly did the breed in. After the war was over, several breeding programs worked to bring the breed back to safe numbers. And now, the Shiba Inu is one of the most popular breeds in Japan today.

The Shiba Inu is an alert, active, agile, confident, courageous, lively and bold dog. It is in its nature to be clean and mostly try to avoid puddles when out for walks and are relatively easy to housebreak. They bark little and do bond closely with their owners. Being playful and delightful, a well-adjusted Shiba Inu is good with kids, other dogs and cats. It is advised to socialize this breed well as a puppy, as they can be reserved with strangers. If the Shiba is not completely convinced that its owner can handle the pack leader position and regards itself as stronger minded it will become a bit stubborn as it will believe it needs to make up its own rules. Also, it is advised to be careful when taking them off leash as they like to chase, especially if they do not regard their owners as a strong pack leader.

More information about this breed can be found from Dog Breed Info Center and Wikipedia.